Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of May 2026

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton side by side

Metric Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Alpha Score3426
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health32
Affordability259
Economic Strength5636
Rental Yield4342
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income3.85.4
Payment-to-Income23.6%33.3%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield5.0%3.8%
Overvaluation Index1040

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Baltimore-Columbia-Towson and Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson leads — Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 25/100 vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton 9/100.
  • Price Momentum: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson and Boston-Cambridge-Newton score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson leads — Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 3/100 vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton 2/100.
  • Economic Strength: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson leads — Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 56/100 vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton 36/100.
  • Rental Yield: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson leads — Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 43/100 vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton 42/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson or Boston-Cambridge-Newton?

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson scores higher — 34 vs 26 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Baltimore-Columbia-Towson or Boston-Cambridge-Newton more affordable?

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 3.8 in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson and 5.4 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson or Boston-Cambridge-Newton?

Both markets show similar price momentum (about 50/100).

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson market brief and the Boston-Cambridge-Newton brief.